Addiction is defined as a chronic craving for and dependence on a substance or behavior, according to the National Institutes of Health. A leading Internet addiction researcher and psychiatrist, Jerald J. Block, M.D., reported in 2008 that there are three types of individuals with an Internet addiction: compulsive emailers or texters, those preoccupied with sex and excessive gamers.The main withdrawal symptoms of Internet addiction are depression, mood swings and anxiety.
What is Internet Addiction?
According to University of Pittsburgh psychologist Kimberly Young, the criteria for Internet addiction include a preoccupation with the Internet, a strong and increasingly growing desire to spend more time online to get the same amount of satisfaction, irritability and restlessness when access to a computer is unavailable, a habit of staying online longer than intended, secretive behavior, lying about time online and online-related activities, negative consequences as a result of online activities and using the internet to self-medicate. If an individual has five or more of these characteristics, he can be treated for an addiction disorder.
What is Withdrawal?
Withdrawal is a term used to describe the physical and emotional feelings associated with the discontinued use of an addictive substance or, as with Internet addiction, an addictive behavior. A person withdrawing from a behavior that he depends on to feel good and ease feelings of depression and anxiety will feel emotional discomfort, distress and intense craving that can affect mood.
The Disease of Addiction
Despite the fact that Internet addiction is not yet included in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” experts like Block and Young are lobbying for its inclusion in the 2012 edition. The American Psychiatric Association explains that Internet addiction is a compulsive-impulsive spectrum disorder, which is similar to disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder and gambling in that engaging in the activity will first decrease anxiety, and then during times of abstinence, anxiety will markedly increase. When a person uses the Internet to achieve a high and then attempts abstinence, he can have withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal Symptoms
In his article “Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction,” Dr. Block explains that the withdrawal symptoms for Internet addiction include anger, tension, a sense of loss and depression, all of which are mood disorders that can lead to job loss, suffering relationships, suicidal feelings and more.
Treating Internet Addiction
Internet addiction needs to be treated like any other addictive disease. In a 2008 study by Eric Hollander, M.D., published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, Internet-addicted volunteers took an anti-depressant or a placebo for nine weeks. Those who were prescribed the anti-depressant reduced their Internet use by an average of 20 hours.
Another treatment, cognitive-behavior therapy, works by encouraging patients to develop healthy alternatives to their destructive computer use.
